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Bourdais takes Tracy over Matchett when it comes to IndyCar TV races

IndyCar driver Sebastien Bourdais is a big fan of Paul Tracy's when it comes to TV and thinks a new track record will be set at Indianapolis for the 100th anniversary in 2016

Race driver Sebastien Bourdais flew into Toronto on Tuesday to help promote this year's Honda Indy, which will be held June 12-14, a month early because of the Pan-Am games.
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When it comes to Indy car racing, driver Sebastien Bourdais is a big fan of Paul Tracy’s TV announcing.

But he’s far from crazy about Steve Matchett’s.

Bourdais was in Toronto on Tuesday to help kick off the publicity for this year’s Honda Indy Toronto, which will be held June 12-14 — a month earlier because of the Pan-Am Games. The native of Le Mans, France, has five podium finishes in Toronto, including victories in 2004 and last year.

While Bourdais and Toronto’s Tracy, the “Thrill from West Hill” who retired from active participation in the open-wheel sport following the 2011 season, were bitter enemies while racing against each other, they have come to admire each other’s abilities in the years since.

Tracy was heard to say on television this year — he does colour commentating of Verizon IndyCar Series races for the NBC Sports Network — that Bourdais is his favourite driver.

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It seems the feeling is mutual. Said Bourdais: “I really like him in the booth, to be honest. I think he’s doing a great job. He really brings something to the table and I miss him when he’s not in there.”

When IndyCar visited Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham, Ala., two weeks ago for the Grand Prix of Alabama, Tracy wasn’t part of the TV announcing team that included Australian anchor Leigh Diffey and co-colour commentator Townsend Bell, a still-active American race driver. Matchett, an Englishman who previously worked in Formula One with the Benetton team before starting a career as a writer, editor and broadcaster of F1 races on NBC, was in his place.

“I missed his (Tracy’s) commentating at Barber,” said Bourdais, who watches recordings of the races. “With all respect to Steve Matchett, I think Paul is a more expert guy in IndyCar. It’s a pretty tricky sport to commentate because it’s such a different thing from F1. It’s tough for a European to come and explain it and I think Paul’s doing a great job at it and he’s obviously got a career in that now.”

In a wide-ranging interview, Bourdais talked about how he thinks IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway would like the Indianapolis 500 track record to be broken in 2016 (the 100th anniversary of the iconic race) rather than this year; how his feelings toward Tracy have mellowed; why he agreed with the decision to postpone one of the two double-header races held in Toronto last year, and how it’s critical this season to start races like the Honda Indy Toronto in front of the four Team Penske cars.

WILL THEY SET A TRACK RECORD AT INDY THIS YEAR?

“No, there will not be a record. It’s going to take a significant amount of power to do that. I think we might see a 234 (miles an hour), maybe a 35. It’s still going to be shy of the record (set by Arie Luyendyk of 237.498 mph (382.216 km/h). I think we’re going to need full boost and maybe a little bit more if we’re going to break the record. But it’s doable.

“They’re really looking for it (the record) for the 100th anniversary. There’s going to be ways to do it, for sure. It’s going to be a slow buildup. You want to be fair to everybody. Firestone (the series’ tire supplier), for instance, will want to know what the cars will be doing at 231, 232. When you get to these speeds, nobody want to take big chances. It’s pretty quick.

“When you put it in kilometres, it’s kind of interesting. It’s a big number in kilometres. You think, 235? Yeah, we’ll put it back in kilometres and we’re going 400 kph! Okay. All right. We’ve got this!”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT TRACY TODAY? PARTICULARLY AFTER HE CALLED YOU HIS FAVOURITE DRIVER?

“My wife said she almost fell off the chair (when she heard him say that). Like I said many times: I have — and had — a ton of respect for Paul and when we raced it was really good racing until there were a couple of incidents and there was frustration from both sides. He’s not the guy I would have picked a fight with (when the two engaged in a shoving match after colliding during a street race in Denver). I never fought anybody in my life, but I was pretty mad that day for sure.

“But Paul is Paul. He was a pretty flamboyant driver. He wasn’t giving up anything. He was entertaining to watch.

“It’s funny — it’s when the rivalry’s over that you can really appreciate the respect there is between two drivers and I have a ton of respect for his abilities and what he’s done in his racing career. I have some great memories from when we were racing, and some not-so-cool memories. Two very accomplished race car drivers that were going hard at it, that’s for sure.”

BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING, INDYCAR POSTPONED A RACE LAST YEAR. THERE WAS CRITICISM. WHERE THEY RIGHT?

“Look, you can always run. It’s not a problem whether you can or can’t. The question is: is it acceptable? From where I was, there was no problem becuase I was (starting) up front. Where the guys were from mid-pack back, it was (a problem).

“This kind of pavement, it leaves the water sitting on top and with the downforce and suction we get from the floor of the car, it just sends the water up and there was no wind that day so it just hovers over the race track and it doesn’t have anywhere to go so there’s that wall of water.

“You can’t see anything; you can’t see the tail of the car in front of you, the rain light. It’s pretty dodgy. Yes, you can run races and I have done it before. Is it fun? No. Is it dangerous? Yes, it is dangerous but at the end of the day it’s all about expectations and what’s acceptable and what’s not in the best interests of safety,

“I think it was the right decision. Could you run the race? Yes. Are you putting people at risk? Yes, you are.

“Running in the rain is one thing; racing in the rain is another.”

YOU’VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS IN TORONTO. ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO COMING BACK IN JUNE?

“I’m always looking forward to coming back here, that the lucky charm is not going to go away. We’ve always been quick here and that’s all you can ask for. I mean, racing either goes your way or it doesn’t. It’s racing, You don’t control it.

“The key word is competitive. We’re missing just a little bit to kick the Penske butts most weekends and start in front of them because it’s really a game of that. If you start in front of them, then you have a really good chance of really winning the race. If you’ve got the Penske patrol in front of you, it’s difficult.”

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